Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all.
Father, among the nations of men we acknowledge that not one of them has sought after You. We know that no man is righteous, and that we have all of us turned out of the way. And yet, Father, You have shown Your good mercy by seeking us out. Not only did You choose Israel of old, but You did this as a sign that You would one day pursue all the nations, and bring them all into Your holy nation, the royal priesthood of the Church. Father, we confess the sin that typifies the world, the sin of going astray, of wandering off like lost sheep. And Father, we have done while pretending that we have all wisdom and knowledge, when we are nothing but pitiable sheep, headed for crevices, cliffs, and wolves. Forgive us for the folly of our pretended wisdom.
We know, Father, that if we in the Church regard iniquity in our own midst, or in our own hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual
. Father, we are Your people, and we confess to You the sin of believing what the nations have said about themselves instead of believing what You have said about them. Please forgive us.
We now confess our own sins to You—and Selah . . . We do this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, and amen.
The free gift is not like the offense, and grace overcomes sin. As a minister of that grace, I declare that your sins are forgiven through Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!